Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always. (1 Chronicles 16:8-11)

If you have a natural, handmade, or christian-owned business, how would you like to have an enthusiastic representative promoting you at the Relevant Conferencefor Christian bloggers? Over 225 bloggers from all over the US and Canada (with a combined readership in the hundred thousands, at least) will be in attendance, and some great writers will be speaking. I attended in 2010, and the learning, networking, and encouragement were invaluable.

A partnership could be a perfect fit for both of us:

I can promote your brand with ad space here and in social media, on Twitter. I'd love to host a giveaway, and I can promote your business at the conference in creative ways we can brainstorm together, like distributing product samples, printing your logo on my business card, or my wearing your product or logo. In turn, I am seeking full or partial sponsorship of my conference ticket, hotel, and travel expenses.

Please check out my author and partnerpages and contact me. I am happy to answer any questions you may have about the conference, my website, and possible promotions available to full or partial conference sponsors.

Your brand will reap definitely benefits from this kind of online, in-person, and word-of-mouth exposure. I look forward to attending the fabulous Relevant Conference, collaborating with a like-minded company, and helping expand your reach in social media.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. -2 Cor 4:16-18

I believe that even amid today's motor bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow. I believe that wounded justice, lying prostrate on the blood-flowing streets of our nations, can be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men.

I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down, men other-centered can build up.I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive goodwill will proclaim the rule of the land.

"And the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid."

I still believe that we shall overcome.

This faith can give us courage to face the uncertainties of the future. It will give our tired feet new strength as we continue our forward stride toward the city of freedom. When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds and our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, we will know that we are living in the creative turmoil of a genuine civilization struggling to be born.

Friday

apparently, it is de-lurking day, which could be construed as a ploy for comments, but i prefer to look at it as an opportunity to hear from you:)

i know since i changed to Disqus comments, it threw Blogger folks for a loop, but it's not that hard to work, i promise (and you don't have that mind-numbing word verification step. you're welcome.)

just fill out your name and email, and you are good to go. if you have a website, would you please fill that out, too, so your comment links back to your site and the rest of us can find our way over? (you can also log in with facebook, yahoo, or twitter.)

but best yet, take two minutes and create a Disqus account (from within the comment box). that way, your info will automatically fill in every time, easy as pie. (it will remember your password and everything.) also, if someone replies to your comment, Disqus will email it to you and you won't miss it if you aren't in the habit of checking back (which i never do.)

you can upload a photo to your Disqus profile, too, or register a universal one over at gravatar.com and it will show up in comments across the web.

soooo, tell me a story! a little about you. or anything. de-lurk! i love finding new blogs, and if you fill out your website, i'd love to check you out, too.

i probably shouldn't let them play in the blinds at church.
chasing and spinning like that, someone could put an eye out!
or pull them down in a heap. they're probably quite expensive
(it's a rather fancy place)

but i let them run wild, for what might it hurt if
some noes were a yes after all?

two grins wide in wonder for the thrill of it
the silliness and joy at glee-filled games.
perhaps i should have stopped them, but
this time
i'm altogether grateful i did not

it's difficult to imagine getting a tattoo, because there is no one image i'd want to bear forever, but a word inscribed to remind me daily of my heart's desire and purpose?

the allure is not lost on me.

the words (the very Word!) call to me again. not one this year, but several :

UPWARD

i suspect that too-inward a focus is the source of much heart-unrest. it is not lost on me that blogging can be indulgently introspective, and i may be called to a different sort of posting in this new year.

self-focus is selfish, of course, and disobedient, but it also robs me of joy.

verses from psalm 121 echo in my heart:

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

a psalm of ascent. the song of the pilgrims' upward trek to jerusalem, to God's temple for worship.

similarly, i feel a stirring to direct my attentions away from myself and onto others.

you know, just the daily, lifelong struggle.

to love and serve my family in our daily life together. to turn off the computer. to say yes.

to wallow less and practice hospitality more. to reach out. to create community.

DO THE WORK

i don't mean this in a jurgis "i will work harder" kind of way. (which would be depressing. and pretty destined for failure.)

jim shared this passage with me not long ago:

David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished. (1 chronicles 28:20)

Friday

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9

when i was a youth minister, i celebrated an interesting liturgy with my students to mark the new year and epiphany: using chalk to etch out a blessing and reminder of where to orient our hearts in the new year.

it also recalls the (apocryphal) names of the three wise men (casper, melchior, and balthazar), who followed the star from the east and symbolize that the Light of Christ is for all people.

my students loved it, because we gave them freedom to chalk up the doorframes in our youth room.

the elders? not so much.

i figured dylan would appreciate the house-chalking, too, and she definitely did--so much that we went ahead and did our bedroom doors too.

a little searching yields a number of beautiful liturgies and prayers for the blessing of a home.i look forward to compiling resources and crafting a liturgy for our family to use each year together.

God, your Son whom wise men sought is the Word who dwells among us. Set apart this home and us this year, that we may love and serve you in hospitality, humility, and joy. Guard our going out and our coming in, and fill us with your peace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

does your family mark the new year in any particular way? i love hearing about traditions as we begin creating our own.

Sunday

While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem, the time was fulfilled for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. Luke 2:6-7

“ When the time was fulfilled…” These words have such redeeming power! In the midst of our daily life we often preoccupy ourselves with those things we think serve God and his cause. We work until we are weary to the bone and yet see so little fruit. Does everything remain as it was? Haven’t we made any progress? Have we actually helped at all, or have we merely scratched the surface of things? Is there any trace or glimpse of the goal we long for? What do all our efforts amount to in the face of all the forces of misery and evil in the world?

Left before such agonizing questions, it is good to remember the light that shines from the stable of Bethlehem, for it is here we are able to sense what it means that the kingdom of God came as a little child...

...This is how it will be with our yearning for redemption. When we are discouraged by the apparently slow progress of all our honest efforts, by the failure of this or that person, and by the ever new reappearance of enemy powers and their apparent victories, then we should know: the time shall be fulfilled. Because of the noise and activity of the struggle and the work, we often do not hear the hidden gentle sound and movement of the life that is coming into being. But here and there, at hours that are blessed, God lets us feel how he is everywhere at work and how his cause is growing and moving forward. The time is being fulfilled and the light shall shine, perhaps just when it seems that the darkness is impenetrable...

in 2009 and 2010, i picked a word--shalom and cultivate, respectively--to orient my heart and year toward. i loved the idea, but in practice, found it to be not all that different from (not) keeping new year's resolutions.

rereading my posts i felt discouraged. the desires still resonate deeply, but where was the progress and measurable growth? this new year had barely dawned and already i felt defeated--until arnold's words reminded me that God is at work, whether i perceive it or not. his Light shines in the darkness. the Kingdom is advancing--even within this selfish, broken heart.

may God's great grace envelop you--and me--this year as we seek his face.